JP2014535069A - Method and system for positioning a device for monitoring a parabolic reflector from the air - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a positioning method and positioning system for an apparatus (10) for monitoring one or more parabolic reflectors (15) of a solar thermal field (122), said positioning method comprising said each parabolic reflector. Positioning the device (10) at a first field position (105) corresponding to the position of (15), and obtaining information on the absorption tube (38) of each parabolic reflector (15). And positioning the device (10) at a second field position (110) according to information in the absorption tube (38), wherein the second field position (110) is the paraboloid. It is a position above the focal point of the surface reflector (15).

Description

  A concentrating solar power generation (CSP) plant has a reflector with a reflectivity of about 94% that concentrates incident solar radiation into an absorber tube. This reflector is usually a parabolic reflector. An example of a parabolic reflector is a parabolic trough type. The efficiency of this type of plant depends on many parameters, for example on the accumulation of dust on the reflector surface, the misalignment between the reflector surface and the absorber tube, etc. If dust accumulates on the surface of the parabolic reflector, the reflection efficiency of the parabolic reflector is reduced, and the plant efficiency is reduced due to the reduction of the reflection efficiency. Misalignment between the surface of the parabolic reflector and the absorption tube also causes a decrease in plant efficiency. Therefore, in order to realize an increase in efficiency, it is necessary to maintain the solar power plant.

  One of the important maintenance tasks in a solar power plant with a parabolic reflector is a frequent cleaning of the surface of the parabolic reflector to remove dust collected on the surface of the parabolic reflector. There is work. Three types of techniques have been reported in the literature as water cleaning techniques for cleaning the surface of a parabolic reflector. This technique includes a mass pressurized water spray technique, a small quantity high pressure spray technique, and a technique that combines mechanical scrubbing and water cleaning.

  Most of these cleaning processes are automated, for example, some power plants use a movable arm to spray a high pressure jet of water onto the surface of a parabolic reflector. It may be possible to use a robot system. If the frequency of cleaning is less than once every two weeks, the automation cost is said to be economical. The frequency of washing varies depending on which period of the year (for example, the frequency increases in the summer months). However, it cannot be guaranteed that the time interval for cleaning is optimal. Given the cost of regularly cleaning the entire field and the water consumption associated with this cleaning (some plants use demineralized water), the parabolic reflector needs to be cleaned. It is useful to specify a method to know whether or not there is.

  At present, there is no automatic method for identifying the power plant cleaning time interval, and the optical technology (scattering method) that has been in circulation as a handheld device for flat mirrors (eg, heliostats) There are only a few instruments based on). However, such instruments cannot be used in parabolic mirrors because of their focusing geometry.

  Conventional monitoring systems for parabolic reflectors must use ground systems with alignment fixtures. Therefore, in the solar power field, it is necessary to position the alignment fixture for every parabolic reflector. In addition, ground-based systems increase the need for human intervention.

  It is an object of the present invention to position a device that monitors one or more parameters of one or more parabolic reflectors of a solar power plant from the air.

The subject of the present invention is
Positioning a parabolic reflector parameter monitoring device at a first field position depending on the position of each one or more parabolic reflectors of the solar thermal field;
Obtaining information on the absorption tube of each parabolic reflector;
Positioning the monitoring device at a second field position located above the focal point of each parabolic reflector in response to the information of the absorber tube. A method for positioning a monitoring device for one or more parameters of a parabolic reflector and a system for positioning a monitoring device for parameters of one or more parabolic reflectors of a solar thermal field are solved.

  Since the position of the absorption tube 38 is fixed, the absorption tube is used as a marker for positioning the monitoring device. This eliminates the need for additional markers for positioning in order to obtain the second field position, and the absorption tube information can be obtained from the first field position. This is because the first field position is in the vicinity of the parabolic reflector.

  In one embodiment, the positioning method further moves the monitoring device along the length of each parabolic reflector at the second field position. This makes it possible to monitor each paraboloid reflector at a plurality of positions in the length direction of each paraboloid reflector.

  In another embodiment, the second field position is the center of curvature of each parabolic reflector. Positioning the monitoring device at the center of curvature has the advantage that the maximum proportion of the reflected light beam can be detected.

  In still another embodiment, in the step of positioning the monitoring device at the second field position, the monitoring device is positioned according to the position of the absorption tube. The position of the absorption tube is used as a reference position when the monitoring device is positioned at the second field position.

  In still another embodiment, in the step of positioning the monitoring device according to the position of the absorption tube, the absorption tube is imaged in a wide field of view, the absorption tube is aligned in a narrow field of view, and the monitoring device To align the absorber tube with reference coordinates within the narrow field of view. From the first field position, the absorber tube is in the wide field of view of the imaging device. Next, the absorption tube is aligned within the narrow field of view of the imaging device. Next, the absorption tube is aligned with reference coordinates within the narrow field of view.

  In this way, the monitoring device can be positioned in the second field at a position corresponding to the position of the absorption tube.

  In yet another embodiment, the reference coordinates correspond to the center of the narrow field. By aligning the absorption tube to the center of the narrow field of view, the monitoring device can be positioned at the center of curvature. This is because the absorber tube is at the focal point of the parabolic reflector.

  In yet another embodiment, the first field position and the second field position are above the focal point of each parabolic reflector. This has the advantage that the parabolic reflector can be easily monitored. This is because the absorption tube does not become an obstacle during monitoring.

  In yet another embodiment, the monitoring device is located at a second field position in the air. By performing parabolic reflector monitoring from the air, the human intervention required for parabolic reflector monitoring can be reduced.

Another embodiment is directed to a system for positioning a parameter monitoring device for one or more parabolic reflectors of a solar thermal field, the system comprising:
A position estimation module configured to detect the position of the monitoring device;
A processing module operably coupled to the position estimation module and configured to receive a detected position of the monitoring device;
A transfer module operably coupled to the processing module; and
A local position estimation module configured to obtain information about the absorption tube of each parabolic reflector;
The processing module is configured to control the moving module to position the monitoring device at a first field position according to the position of each parabolic reflector,
The processing module is further configured to receive the absorption tube information and control the movement module to position the monitoring device at a second field position.

  In one embodiment, the processing module is configured to control the movement module such that the monitoring device moves in the length direction of each parabolic reflector at the second field position.

  In another embodiment, the second field position is the center of curvature of each parabolic reflector.

  In yet another embodiment, the processing module is configured to control the movement module to position the monitoring device at the second field position depending on the position of the absorption tube.

  In yet another embodiment, the local position estimation module comprises an imaging device configured to acquire an image of an absorption tube. With this imaging device, information on the absorption tube can be obtained.

  In yet another embodiment, the imaging device has a configurable field of view including a wide field of view and a narrow field of view, and the processing module aligns an absorption tube within the wide field of view and within the narrow field of view. The moving module is controlled to align the absorbing tube and align the absorbing tube with respect to a reference coordinate within the narrow field of view. With such a settable field of view, the monitoring device can be positioned with high accuracy at the second field position.

  In yet another embodiment, the system is an air drone. The use of an airborne drone to position the parabolic reflector monitoring device has the advantage of reducing the human care required for parabolic reflector monitoring.

  Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the embodiments shown in the drawings.

1 shows an example of a schematic block diagram of a parabolic reflector parameter monitoring apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 shows an example of a schematic block diagram of a parabolic reflector parameter monitoring apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 shows an example of a block diagram of an apparatus for monitoring the reflection efficiency of a parabolic reflector according to another embodiment of the present invention. It is the schematic which shows an example of the monitoring of the reflective efficiency of the parabolic reflector using the apparatus of 1 embodiment. FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an apparatus for monitoring the reflection efficiency of a parabolic reflector and the alignment of the parabolic reflector with respect to a focal point. 1 is a schematic block diagram of an embodiment system for positioning a device for monitoring a parabolic reflector of a solar power generation field from the air. FIG. FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of the present application that positions the apparatus of FIGS. 1-4 at the center of curvature of a parabolic reflector of an embodiment of the present application. FIG. 7 shows one embodiment where a UAV is installed as the system 70 of FIG. 6 for positioning a device in the air to monitor one or more parabolic reflectors of a solar power generation field. 1 is a schematic diagram of one embodiment of a solar power generation field that includes a plurality of parabolic reflectors. FIG. It is the figure which looked at the Example using the mooring cable in order to position the monitoring apparatus of a solar thermal power generation field in the air from the top. FIG. 4 shows a method for positioning an apparatus for monitoring parameters of one or more parabolic reflectors of a solar power generation field. It is the schematic of an apparatus.

  Several different embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. Here, the reference numerals used to indicate similar components are the same in all drawings. In the following description, for the purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of one or more embodiments, but without these specific limitations. It is clear that the embodiment can be implemented.

  The idea of the present invention is based on air monitoring of a parabolic reflector of a solar power plant. The parabolic reflector monitoring device is positioned in the air at the desired location for monitoring. The monitoring device uses the change in reflectivity of this surface to monitor the accumulation of dust on the surface of the parabolic reflector. The alignment of the parabolic reflector with respect to the focal point of the parabolic reflector is monitored by detecting the reflected light beam reflected by the parabolic reflector.

  FIG. 1 shows an example of a schematic block diagram of a parameter monitoring device 10 of a parabolic reflector 15 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The parabolic reflector 15 of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 is a parabolic trough type. The apparatus 10 includes a light source 20 for sending a light beam 25 incident on at least a portion of the surface of the parabolic reflector 15 and a detector 30 for detecting the reflected light beam 35. Since the surface of the paraboloidal reflector 15 is a curved surface, the direction of the surface normal differs for each position on the surface of the paraboloidal reflector 15. Therefore, the light source 20 is positioned so that the light beam 25 hitting the parabolic reflector 15 is reflected and returned to the installation position of the detector 30. For example, this is achieved by adjusting the orientation of the light beam 25 from the light source 20 so that the reflected light beam 35 is at an angle that is captured by the detector 30. Therefore, the light source 20 is arranged in the apparatus 10 so that the light beam 25 is reflected to the installation position of the detector 30. Since the device 10 comprises a light source 20 and a detector 30, the device 10 can advantageously be placed at a position above the focus so that the reflected light beam 35 is detected by the detector 30. Here, “above the focal point” means that the distance between the surface of the parabolic reflector and the detector 30 is larger than the focal length of the parabolic reflector 15.

  With continued reference to FIG. 1, parameters that the apparatus 10 can monitor include alignment of the parabolic reflector 15 with respect to the focal point of the parabolic reflector 15 and reflection of the parabolic reflector 15. Including, but not limited to, efficiency. In order to monitor the alignment of the parabolic reflector 15, the surface of the parabolic reflector 15 is preferably close to the edge 40 of the parabolic reflector 15 and the parabolic reflector 15. The direction of the light beam 25 can be adjusted so that the light beam 25 strikes at least a portion of the 15 center 45 located in the centrifuge. Since the geometric shape of the parabolic reflector 15 is a curved surface, the alignment of the surface of the parabolic reflector 15 can be specified with higher accuracy by adjusting the direction as described above. In one embodiment, the light beam 25 can advantageously be incident at a location proximate to the center 45 of the parabolic reflector 15 to detect reflection efficiency. This makes it possible to detect the accumulation of dust on the surface of the parabolic reflector 15 with higher accuracy than when the light beam 25 is incident on a location close to the edge 40 of the parabolic reflector 15. If there is a misalignment of each segment of the parabolic reflector with respect to the focal point, the reflected light beam 35 will not be detected by the detector 30.

  With continued reference to FIG. 1, an absorber tube 38 for receiving solar radiation reflected by the parabolic reflector 15 is located at the focal point of the parabolic reflector 15. Hereinafter, a combination of the parabolic reflector 15 and the absorption tube 38 is referred to as a solar radiation collection device. Since the absorption tube 38 is arranged at the focal point of the parabolic reflector 15, the solar radiation received by the absorption tube 38 gathers at one point. Therefore, advantageously, the detector 30 and the light source 20 are positioned above the focal point of the parabolic reflector 15 so that the reflected light beam 35 reflected by the parabolic reflector 15 can be detected at the detector 30. Is positioned. Thus, the device 10 can be positioned at a position above the focal point of the parabolic reflector 15. As a result, the apparatus 10 is not obstructed by the absorption tube 38, so that the parabolic reflector 15 can be easily monitored. It is also possible to position the light source 20 and the detector 30 within the focal point. However, in that case, the absorption tube 38 interferes with the monitoring of the parabolic reflector 15. Further, according to the above-described embodiment, the light source 20 and the detector 30 can be arranged close to each other, so that the size of the apparatus can be reduced. Advantageously, the position above the focal point can be the center of curvature of the parabolic reflector 15. This is because this has the advantage that the percentage of the reflected light beam 35 that can be detected can be maximized. In addition, since the device 10 will be installed at a position above the absorption tube 38 to monitor the parabolic reflector 15, the device collects the solar radiation reflected by the parabolic reflector 15. 10 will not interfere.

  With continued reference to FIG. 1, in one embodiment, the light source 20 may be a coherent light source, such as a laser. The laser light beam 25 irradiates and reflects one spot on the paraboloidal reflector 15 and is sent 35 to a detector 30 positioned at the center of curvature of the paraboloidal reflector 15. A processing unit 50 is operatively coupled to the detector 30, which receives a signal 55 in response to the detected light beam and processes the signal 55 to detect the detected light beam. It is configured to determine the strength. The processing unit 50 is further configured to estimate the parameters of the parabolic reflector 15 by comparing the intensity of the detected light beam with a reference intensity.

  With continued reference to FIG. 1, for example, in the case of parameters such as the alignment or reflection efficiency of the parabolic reflector 15 with respect to the focal point of the parabolic reflector 15, the reflection efficiency of the parabolic reflector 15 decreases. If the parabolic reflector 15 is misaligned with respect to the focal point, the intensity of the detected light beam is lower than the reference intensity. Here, it is not limited to the specific examples such as the alignment and the reflection efficiency. When the reflection efficiency decreases, the cause of this decrease is generally that dust is accumulated on the surface of the parabolic reflector 15. Therefore, it can be assumed that there is a correlation between the change in reflection efficiency and the accumulation of dust on the surface of the parabolic reflector. Accordingly, the apparatus 10 can be configured to monitor the reflection efficiency or alignment of the parabolic reflector 15. The reference intensity can be stored in a memory built in the processing unit 50 or can be stored in an external memory for the processing unit 50.

  With continued reference to FIG. 1, in one embodiment, the apparatus 10 has two sets having a light source 20 and a detector 30, one set monitoring the reflection efficiency of the parabolic reflector 15. And the other set can be configured to monitor the alignment of the parabolic reflector 15 with respect to the focal point. Thereby, the reflection efficiency of the parabolic reflector 15 and the alignment of the parabolic reflector 15 with respect to the focal point can be monitored simultaneously.

  FIG. 2 shows an example of a schematic block diagram of the parameter monitoring device 10 of the parabolic reflector 15 according to another embodiment of the present invention. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the apparatus 10 has a first light source 20 a and a second light source 20 b, and these two light sources emit respective light beams 25 a and 25 b of the parabolic reflector 15. Send on the surface. In one embodiment, as shown in the example of FIG. 2, the first light source 20a is configured to direct the light beam 25a to a first portion on the surface of the parabolic reflector 15. The second light source 20b is configured to irradiate the second portion on the surface of the parabolic reflector 15 with the light beam 25b. The first portion is located near the edge 40a of the parabolic reflector 15, and the second portion is located near the edge 40b of the parabolic reflector 15. The detector 30 is configured to detect both reflected light beams 35a and 35b. Since the paraboloidal reflector 15 may have a plurality of different segments, both light beams 25a and 25b are incident on two different parts proximate to the respective edges 40 at both ends of the parabolic reflector. By adjusting the directions of the two light beams 25a and 25b, it is possible to increase the accuracy of monitoring the alignment of the parabolic reflector 15 with respect to the focal point. Since both the light beams 25a and 25b are sent to positions near the edges 40a and 40b at both ends, the misalignment detection sensitivity is improved, thereby improving the accuracy.

  With continued reference to FIG. 2, in this embodiment, the detector 30 is configured to detect both reflected light beams 35a, 35b and to output a signal 55 corresponding to the detected both light beams. The processing unit 50 is configured to obtain the intensities of both detected light beams by receiving and processing the signal 55. The processing unit 50 is configured to estimate one or more parameters from the intensities of both detected light beams. The estimation of this parameter is performed by comparing the detected intensity with a reference intensity. In one embodiment, the light sources 20a and 20b can be operated with a delay so that it can be easily known which reflected light beams 35a and 35b of which light sources 20a and 20b have been detected. This also makes it possible to identify a segment of the parabolic reflector 15 whose parameters are not optimal. In one embodiment, if the parabolic reflector 15 has a plurality of segments, a plurality of light sources 20 may be installed to monitor each alignment of the plurality of segments. In another embodiment, one light source 20 may be configured to send one light beam 25 such that one light beam 25 scans multiple different segments of the parabolic reflector 15. Is possible.

  FIG. 3 shows an example of a block diagram of an apparatus 10 for monitoring the reflection efficiency of a parabolic reflector according to another embodiment of the present invention. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the apparatus 10 includes a light source 20, a diffuser 60, a beam splitter 65, a detector 30, and a processing unit 50. The diffuser 60 is configured to diffuse the light beam emitted from the light source 20, and the beam splitter 65 is configured to reflect the diffused light beam and send it to the parabolic reflector 15 of FIG. Has been. Advantageously, the diffuser 60 and the light source 20 can be combined into one unit. The reflected light beam is received by the beam splitter 65, and the beam splitter 65 is configured to transmit the reflected light beam to the detector 30. A specific configuration of the apparatus 10 shown in FIG. 3 is shown in FIG.

  FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of monitoring the reflection efficiency of a parabolic reflector using the apparatus 10 of FIG. 3 in one embodiment. As shown in the example of FIG. 4, in one embodiment, the light beam 25 emitted by the light source 20 is received by a diffuser 60, which diffuses the light beam 25 to produce a diffused light beam 26. It is configured to issue. Advantageously, the diffuser 60 is configured to diffuse the light beam 25 depending on, for example, the cross section of the parabolic reflector 15. For example, the light beam 25 can be diffused so that the diffused light beam 26 strikes a parabolic cross section of the parabolic reflector 15. Here, the parabolic cross section refers to the surface corresponding to the entire cross section of the parabolic reflector 15. The beam splitter 65 is configured to send the diffused light beam 26 to the parabolic reflector 15 by receiving and reflecting the diffused light beam 26. The beam splitter 65 is also configured to receive the reflected light beam 35 reflected by the parabolic reflector 15 and transmit the reflected light beam 35 to the detector 30. The beam splitter 65 causes the diffused light beam 26 to enter the at least part of the surface of the parabolic reflector 15 at an angle perpendicular to the surface of the parabolic reflector 15. It is configured to reflect to the parabolic reflector 15. The detector 30 is configured to detect the reflected light beam 35 sent by the beam splitter 65. The processing unit 50 is operatively coupled to the detector 30 for receiving a signal 55 corresponding to the detected light beam and determining the intensity of the detected light beam. This detected intensity is compared with a reference intensity to estimate the reflection efficiency.

  Subsequently, referring to FIG. 4, as already described above, since the parabolic reflector 15 has a curved surface, the direction of the surface normal differs for each point on the surface of the parabolic reflector 15. . Therefore, the reflected light beam 35 is not retroreflected at each point of the paraboloidal section of the paraboloidal reflector 15. Here, the retroreflection means that the reflected light beam is reflected toward the point from which the light beam 25 is emitted. In order to eliminate this, the light source 20 and the detector 30 are arranged such that the light source 20 and the detector 30 are arranged at an interval equal to the distance from the center of curvature to the surface of the parabolic reflector 15. And positioning. In this way, the light source 20 is disposed at the first position, the detector 30 is disposed at the second position, and the distance between the first position and the second position is a parabolic reflector from the center of curvature. It can be made equal to the distance to 15 surfaces. The reflected light beam 35 is retroreflected by using a beam splitter 65 to reflect the diffused light beam 26 onto the parabolic reflector 15 and send the reflected light beam 35 to the detector. In such a case, the reflected light beam 35 can be detected.

  Still referring to FIG. 4, the distance from the center of curvature to the surface of the parabolic reflector 15 is twice the distance f between the parabolic reflector 15 and the focal point of the parabolic reflector 15. is there. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, the first position, which is a first distance equal to the center of curvature from the parabolic reflector 15, is the surface of the parabolic reflector 15 and the splitter 65. And the sum of the distance a between the splitter 65 and the light source 20 is equal to the distance from the center of curvature to the surface of the parabolic reflector 15. The Similarly, the second position, which is a second distance equal to the center of curvature from the parabolic reflector 15, is also the distance t between the surface of the parabolic reflector 15 and the splitter 65. The sum obtained by adding the distance b between the splitter 65 and the light source 20 is realized so as to be equal to the distance from the center of curvature to the surface of the parabolic reflector 15. With such an arrangement, even if the reflected light beam 35 reflected from the paraboloidal section of the paraboloid reflector 15 is retroreflective, the reflected light beam 35 can be detected.

  Still referring to FIG. 4, the diffuser 60 is configured to diffuse the light beam 25 such that the diffused light beam 26 is incident on substantially the entire parabolic cross section of the parabolic reflector 15. can do. Thus, for example, the diffuser 60 can be selected such that the diffuse light beam 26 is incident on substantially the entire parabolic cross section of the parabolic reflector 15. By reflecting the light beam from the entire paraboloidal cross section rather than reflecting the light beam from a specific spot, it is possible to increase the monitoring accuracy of dust accumulation on the surface of the paraboloidal reflector 15 and to improve the reflection efficiency. Any restrictions imposed on the positioning accuracy of the device 10 for monitoring the can be removed.

  Still referring to FIG. 4, the apparatus 10 is configured to obtain information about one paraboloidal section of the paraboloidal reflector 15 for each readout from the detector 30. In order to monitor the entire length L of the parabolic reflector 15 in FIG. 9, the device 10 must be moved longitudinally along the length of the parabolic reflector 15. However, since what is handled here is mainly dust that naturally adheres to the parabolic reflector 15, in certain circumstances, it may be assumed that the dust covering state is homogeneous. Therefore, in certain embodiments, it is also possible to sample the reflection efficiency monitoring results from only a small number of suitably spaced locations in the length L direction of the parabolic mirror 15 in FIG. It is.

  FIG. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the apparatus 10 for monitoring the reflection efficiency of the parabolic reflector 15 and the alignment of the parabolic reflector 15 with respect to the focal point. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 5, the combination of the light source 20a and the detector 30a is configured to monitor the reflection efficiency of the parabolic reflector 15, and the light sources 20b and 20c, the detector 30b, Is configured to monitor the alignment of the parabolic reflector with respect to the focal point. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 5, the light beam 25 a emitted from the light source 20 a is sufficiently incident on the entire parabolic cross section of the surface of the parabolic reflector 15. This is achieved by adjusting the apparatus 10 of the embodiment shown in FIGS. The reflected light beam 35a corresponding to the incident light beam 25a is retroreflected to the point from which the incident light beam 25a is emitted.

  Still referring to FIG. 5, since the light sources 20b and 20c are configured to monitor the alignment of the parabolic reflector 15 with respect to the focal length, the light beams 25b and 25c emitted by the light sources 20b and 20c are The incident light is incident on a location close to the edges 40 at both ends of the parabolic reflector 15. The reflected light beams 35b and 35c corresponding to the incident light beams 20b and 20c are detected by the detector 20b.

  1 to 4, in order to monitor each parameter of the parabolic reflector 15, it is necessary to install the apparatus 10 at an appropriate relative position with respect to the parabolic reflector 15. I understand that. As already mentioned above, the apparatus 10 is advantageously at a position above the focal point, at a predetermined height from the surface of the parabolic reflector 15, in order to monitor one or more parameters. Positioned. However, if the apparatus 10 shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 is configured to monitor the reflection efficiency of the parabolic reflector 15, the apparatus 10 is placed at the center of curvature of the parabolic reflector 15. There must be. Therefore, if the apparatus 10 shown in FIG. 1 or 2 is used to monitor one or more parameters, the apparatus 10 must be positioned above the focal point of the parabolic reflector. I must. However, if the device shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is used in combination with the device shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 to monitor the reflection efficiency and alignment, the device 10 will have a curvature of the parabolic reflector 15. It can be centered. In order to monitor the parabolic reflector 15, the entire length of the parabolic reflector must be scanned, so that the parabolic reflector 15 can be scanned along the entire length L. The apparatus 10 can be moved from one side of the parabolic reflector 15 to the other side (see FIG. 9). In the case of a solar power generation field having a plurality of parabolic reflectors 15 (see FIG. 9), each parabolic reflector 15 is scanned in the length direction of each parabolic reflector 15. To achieve this, the device 10 is held in the air by a system having a positioning mechanism necessary to position the device 10 for monitoring the parameters of the parabolic reflector 15 at a desired position. be able to. For example, the system can be an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), a moored cable, a robot arm, and the like.

  FIG. 6 is a schematic block diagram of an embodiment system for positioning the apparatus 10 for monitoring a parabolic reflector of a solar power generation field from the air shown in FIGS. In one embodiment, in order to monitor the parabolic reflector 15 from the air, the device 10 is moved in the vicinity of the position of the parabolic reflector 15 and then the parabolic reflector 15 is monitored. The apparatus 10 is positioned at a position suitable for the above. For example, this means that after placing the device 10 at the first field position (105 in FIG. 7), the device at the second field position (110 in FIG. 7) for monitoring the parabolic reflector 15 is used. This can be realized by positioning 10. The first field position (105 in FIG. 7) is a position near the parabolic reflector 15, and the second field position (110 in FIG. 7) is the first field position from the first field position. It is calculated | required using the information of the solar radiation collection apparatus calculated | required from the position (105 in FIG. 7). In one embodiment of the invention, the second field position is determined using information in the absorption tube 38. In this way, when the device 10 is moved once in the vicinity of the parabolic reflector 15, that is, when it is moved to the first field position (105 in FIG. 7), the device 10 is moved to the first field position. Is positioned at the second field position (110 in FIG. 7) for monitoring the parabolic reflector 15, so that the device for monitoring the parabolic reflector 15 is accurately positioned. be able to. The absorption tube 38 is used as a marker for obtaining the second field position (110 in FIG. 7). The absorption tube 38 is used as a marker for positioning the monitoring device 10 because the position of the absorption tube 38 is fixed. This eliminates the need for additional marker positioning in order to obtain the second field position (110 in FIG. 7).

  Still referring to FIG. 6, system 70 includes device 10. This is because the device 10 can be mounted on the positioning system 10. System 70 includes a processing module 75, which is operatively coupled to a position estimation module 80, a movement module 85, a telemetry module 90, and a local position estimation module 95. The position estimation module 80 is configured to estimate the position and direction of the apparatus 10 and is configured to supply information on the position and direction of the apparatus 10 to the processing module 75. The position and orientation feedback of the device 10 made by the position estimation module 80 is the device 10 at the first field position (105 in FIG. 7) relative to the parabolic reflector 15 to be monitored. Is used for positioning and for controlling the direction of the device 10. Here, the “direction” is defined as rotation angles in three directions of the apparatus 10 around the center of mass. The moving module 85 is configured to move the device 10.

  Still referring to FIG. 6, in one embodiment, the moving module 85 and the device 10 can be mechanically coupled to move the device 10. Thus, according to one embodiment, when the movement module 85 is mechanically coupled to the apparatus 10, the position estimation module 80, the local position estimation module 95, and the apparatus 10 are configured as one unit, and the movement module 85 is It can be mechanically coupled to this one unit. For example, if a robotic arm is used to position the device 10 for monitoring the parabolic reflector 15, the unit including the device 10, the position estimation module 80 and the local position estimation module 95 is moved. In addition, the unit is mechanically coupled to the moving module 85. In another embodiment, the transfer module 85 can be configured to move the system 70 and the device 10 can be attached to the system 70. Based on the current position and orientation of the device 10 supplied by the position estimation module 80, the processing module 75 is the device at the first field position (105 in FIG. 7) according to the position of the parabolic reflector 15. The moving module 85 is controlled so that 10 is positioned so as to be in the target direction. Advantageously, the device 10 is arranged at a certain height above the focal point of the parabolic reflector 15.

  Still referring to FIG. 6, the information of the first field position (105 in FIG. 7) where the apparatus 10 should be installed can be supplied to the processing module 75 in x, y, z coordinate representation. The x and y coordinates can be derived from the position information of the parabolic reflector 15 represented by the x and y coordinates, and the z coordinate is the first field position (105 in FIG. 7) where the apparatus 10 is to be installed. ) Is a height above the focal point of the parabolic reflector 15. In one embodiment, the position estimation module 80 includes a global positioning system (GPS) 81, a direction estimation system 82, and an altitude sensor 83. The GPS system 81 is configured to supply the current position of the device 10 in the x and y coordinates while the device 10 is positioned. The direction estimation system 82 estimates the direction of the apparatus 10 around the center of mass. In general, in the case of an airborne aircraft, the rotation angles in the three directions are referred to as pitch (116 in FIG. 8), roll (117 in FIG. 8) and yaw (118 in FIG. 8), respectively. Therefore, the terms pitch (116 in FIG. 8), roll (117 in FIG. 8) and yaw (118 in FIG. 8) refer to each axis of the aerial machine from a predetermined equilibrium state. Refers to centered rotation. When the apparatus 10 is positioned in the air using the UAV, the rotation angles in the three directions of the UAV are set as pitch (116 in FIG. 8), roll (117 in FIG. 8), and yaw (118 in FIG. 8). Called. For example, if the system 70 is a UAV, the direction estimation system 82 may include an accelerometer, a gyroscope, and a magnetometer to provide the three directions of rotation of the UAV. The altitude sensor 83 is for estimating the ground height of the device 10. The ground height information of the device 10 is used to position the device 10 at a position above the focal point of the parabolic reflector 15.

  With continued reference to FIG. 6, when the apparatus 10 is installed at a first field position (105 in FIG. 7) above the focus of the parabolic reflector 15 to be monitored, the local position estimation module 95 is Information on the absorption tube 38 of the parabolic reflector 15 can be acquired, and the information on the absorption tube 38 can be supplied to the processing module 75. By positioning the device 10 at a first field position (105 in FIG. 7), the absorption tube 38 is within the field of view of the local position estimation module 95 when viewed from the first field position (105 in FIG. 7). Therefore, it becomes possible to acquire information on the absorption tube 38. In one embodiment, the position of the absorption tube 38 is used as a reference point for positioning the device 10 at the second field position (110 in FIG. 7). Thereby, the parabolic reflector 15 can be monitored more. For example, the processing module 75 controls the movement module 85 from the acquired information of the absorption tube 38 to position the device 10 at a second field position (110 in FIG. 7) depending on the position of the absorption tube 38. And is configured to control the direction of the system 70. In this way, the second field position (110 in FIG. 7) is obtained by using the position of the absorption tube 38 as a reference point. Therefore, first, after positioning the apparatus 10 at the first field position (105 in FIG. 7) relative to the parabolic reflector 15, the first value determined according to the position of the absorption tube 38 is obtained. That is, the apparatus 10 is positioned at the field position 2 (110 in FIG. 7). The second field position (110 in FIG. 7) can advantageously be such that the device 10 is aligned with the absorption tube 38. In this way, the second field position (110 in FIG. 7) can be a position where the apparatus and the absorption tube 38 are aligned. However, in other embodiments, the second field position (110 in FIG. 7) and the absorption tube 38 cannot be arranged in a straight line, but the position derived from the absorption tube 38 in the lateral direction is the second field position. It can also be. In this case, the position of the absorption tube 38 is used as a reference point for positioning the device 10 at the second field position (110 in FIG. 7).

  With continued reference to FIG. 6, the apparatus 10 is configured to monitor one or more parameters of the parabolic reflector 15 at a second field position (110 in FIG. 7). To scan the entire paraboloidal reflector 15, the device 10 is moved in this position along the length of the paraboloidal reflector 15. In this way, the apparatus 10 monitors the parabolic reflector 15 from a plurality of second field positions (110 in FIG. 7) in the length direction of the parabolic reflector 15. By controlling the direction of the system 70 by changing the x and y coordinate values so that the device 10 stays at the second field position (110 in FIG. 7), the second field position (in FIG. 7). 110), the device 10 can be moved in the longitudinal direction of the parabolic reflector 15. At that time, the z coordinate value is kept constant. By disposing the apparatus 10 at the first field position (105 in FIG. 7) above the focal point of the parabolic reflector 15, the information of the absorption tube 38 can be easily obtained from this first field position. Therefore, the second field position (110 in FIG. 7) can be easily obtained.

  In one embodiment, as described above, the second field position to be determined (105 in FIG. 7) is the center of curvature of the parabolic reflector 15, and the apparatus 10 is used to monitor the parabolic reflector 15. The center of curvature can be positioned. By aligning the device 10 with the position of the absorption tube 38, the device 10 can be easily positioned at the center of curvature of the parabolic reflector 15. The absorber tube 38 is usually at the focal point of the parabolic reflector 15 and the center of curvature is twice the distance from the parabolic reflector 15 to the focal point. The movement module 85 is controlled by the processing module 75 to position the device 10 at the second field position (110 in FIG. 7) by controlling the orientation of the system 70. Details of the local position estimation module 95 will be described later.

  Still referring to FIG. 6, the monitoring device is positioned at the first field position (105 in FIG. 7) using the x, y, z coordinates. In order to position the monitoring device 10 at the first field position (105 in FIG. 7), the GPS system 81 of the position estimation module 80 is configured to estimate the x, y coordinates of the device 10, and the altitude sensor 83 is configured to estimate the z-coordinate of the device 10. Thereafter, by controlling the direction of the device 10 according to the position of the absorption tube 38, the device 10 is positioned at the second field position (110 in FIG. 7). The device 10 can be positioned at a desired height above the surface of the parabolic reflector 15 at the first field position (105 in FIG. 7) itself, so that the second field position (110 in FIG. 7). ) Is equal to the z-coordinate of the first field position (105 in FIG. 7).

  With continued reference to FIG. 6, telemetry module 90 is configured to perform data transfer between processing module 70 and a remote station or device. For example, the telemetry module 90 can be used to transfer the position information of the device 10 and the position of the absorption tube 38 to the remote station, and the telemetry module 90 can be used to transfer data transmitted from the remote station to the processing module 75. It can also be supplied. Battery charging information can also be transmitted to the remote station using the telemetry module 90. If desired, the telemetry module 90 can be configured to transmit data wirelessly or wired. The system 70 also includes a power supply 100 for supplying power to operate the processing module 75 and modules 80, 85, 90, 95 of the system 70. Advantageously, since the system 70 and the apparatus 10 are used in combination, the processing module 75 can be configured to perform the functions of the processing unit 50. To accomplish this, the processing module 75 can be operatively coupled to the detector 30 as shown in FIG. In that case, the processing module 75 is configured to control the movement module 85 to position the device 10 and to estimate one or more parameters of the parabolic reflector 15. A telemetry module 90 coupled to the processing module can be configured to forward the value of the parameter estimated by the processing module 75 to a remote station for further analysis of the parameter.

  Still referring to FIG. 6, the system 70 can be a UAV, robot arm, or the like that positions the monitoring device 10 of the parabolic reflector 15. By using the UAV as the system 70, there is an advantage that the positioning of the apparatus 10 can be easily performed with less human intervention. For example, if the system 70 is a UAV, the device 10 is attached to the UAV, the device 10 is positioned at the first field position (105 in FIG. 7), and thereafter the parabolic reflector 15 is The position of the UAV can be controlled to position the device 10 at a second field position for monitoring (110 in FIG. 7). If system 70 is configured as a robotic arm that positions apparatus 10, movement module 85 can be mechanically coupled to a unit that includes apparatus 10, position estimation module 80, and local position estimation module 95. .

  With continued reference to FIG. 6, in another embodiment, the device 10 is positioned at a first field position (105 in FIG. 7) followed by a second field position (in FIG. 7). 110) can be remotely controlled to position. Feedback on the position information of the device 10 can be provided to a remote station or device, and instructions for controlling the position of the device 10 can be provided from the remote station to the processing unit 75 via the telemetry module 90. For example, the operator looks at the current position of the device 10 output by the position estimation module 80 and places the device 10 in a first field position relative to the parabolic reflector 15 (105 in FIG. 7). Instructions for controlling the movement module 85 to position can be provided to the processing unit 75. When the device 10 is positioned at the first field position (105 in FIG. 7), the second field position (110 in FIG. 7) where the device 10 should be positioned to monitor the parabolic reflector 15 Depending on the position of the absorption tube 38, the operator controls the movement module 85 to control the direction of the device 10 to position the device 10 in the second field position (110 in FIG. 7). Instructions to do so can be provided to the processing module 75.

  With continued reference to FIG. 6, in one embodiment, the local position estimation module 95 includes an imaging device configured to acquire an image of the absorption tube 38 and supply the acquired image to the processing module 75. . The processing module 75 controls the orientation of the system 70 in response to the position of the absorption tube 38 in the acquired image to position the device 10 at the second field position (110 in FIG. 7). The moving module 85 is configured to be controlled. For example, in one embodiment, the imaging device can be configured such that the field of view of the imaging device of the local position estimation module 95 can be set. Therefore, first, the absorption tube 38 is imaged using the narrow field of view of the imaging device, and then the local position estimation module 95 is used according to the image of the absorption tube 38 obtained using the wide field of view of the imaging device. The positioning module 85 can be controlled to move the absorber tube 38 to align within the narrow field of view of the imaging device. Thereafter, the movement module 85 is controlled to move the absorption tube 38 to align with the narrow field reference coordinates of the imaging device to position the device 10 at a second field position (110 in FIG. 7). Can do. This reference coordinate can be determined according to the second field position where the device 10 is to be positioned, and the reference coordinate can correspond to the center of the narrow field, for example, so that the absorber tube is aligned with the center of the narrow field. it can. By aligning the absorption tube 38 with the center of the narrow field of view of the imaging device, the device 10 can be positioned at a second field position (110 in FIG. 7) so that the device 10 is aligned with the absorption tube 38. it can. However, although it is not necessary to align the device 10 with the absorption tube 38, some deviation of the device 10 from the absorption tube 38 in the lateral direction may be necessary. In such a case, the absorption tube 38 is not aligned with the center of the narrow field of view of the imaging device, but the absorption tube 38 can be offset in the lateral direction from the center of the narrow field of view of the imaging device. is there.

  Still referring to FIG. 6, in another embodiment, the wide-field imaging device and the narrow-field imaging device can be configured to perform the same function. Advantageously, an infrared imaging device can be used as the imaging device for obtaining an image of the absorption tube 38 using a narrow field of view. By imaging with infrared rays, there is an advantage that imaging can be performed even in a dark night. In another embodiment, the local position estimation module 95 includes a wide-field imaging device, a transmitter, and a receiver so that the local position estimation module 95 detects the absorption tube with a narrow field of view. be able to. The transmitter and receiver can be configured to detect absorption tubes using principles including time-of-flight, radar, ultrasonic (intensity or TOF) and sonar. It is not limited to the specific principle.

  FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of one embodiment of the present application that positions the device 10 of FIGS. 1-4 at the center of curvature of the parabolic reflector of one embodiment of the present application. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 7, the system 70 of FIG. 6 is configured as a UAV that positions the apparatus 10 for monitoring one or more parameters of the parabolic reflector 15. System 70 is positioned at a first field position, indicated at 105, relative to parabolic reflector 15. The positioning of the system 70 to the first field position is performed using the current position feedback of the system 70 output by the position estimation module 80 of FIG. The x and y coordinates corresponding to the current position of the system 70 are obtained by using the GPS system 81 of FIG. Since the accuracy of the GPS system is typically 4-5 m, the accuracy of positioning the system 70 at the first field position 105 can also be 4-5 m. Therefore, the first field position 105 is as indicated by the hatched portion 105. The system 70 must then be positioned at the second field position indicated at 110 for the apparatus 10 to monitor the parabolic reflector 15. In this embodiment, the GPS system 81 is used by using the local position estimation module 95 of FIG. 6 to position the system 70 at the second field position 110, which is the desired position for monitoring the parabolic reflector 15. The low accuracy of is compensated. In the example of FIG. 7, the second field position 110 is the center of curvature of the parabolic reflector 15. As shown in the embodiment of FIG. 7, in order to position the system 70 at the second field position 110, the first field position 105 is absorbed using a wide field of view indicated by the shaded portion 111. The tube 38 is imaged. Thereafter, the system 70 is aligned so that the absorption tube 38 is in the narrow field of view indicated by the shaded portion 112 of the imaging device of the local position estimation module 95. Next, the system 70 is controlled to align the absorption tube 38 with the center of the narrow field 112 of the imaging device of the local position estimation module 95. When aligning the absorber tube 38 to the center of the narrow field 112 within the narrow field 112 of the imaging device, to control the direction of the system 70 to align the absorber tube 38 with the center of the narrow field 112 of the imaging device The moving module 85 is controlled. Thus, by aligning the absorption tube 38 with the center of the narrow field 112 of the imaging device of the local position estimation module 95, the monitoring device 10 is at the center of curvature of the parabolic reflector 15, that is, at the second position 110. The system 70 can be positioned to be positioned.

  Accordingly, referring now to FIGS. 1-7, in the embodiment described herein, the information in the absorber tube 38 is used to position the device 10 that monitors the parabolic reflector 15. As already mentioned, since the accuracy of the GPS system 81 is not very high, the GPS system 81 cannot be used to position the device 10 at the desired position for monitoring the parabolic reflector 15. Thus, in the embodiment described herein, the system 70 is positioned approximately at the first field position 105 and then the second field position 110, which is the desired position for monitoring the parabolic reflector 15. The system 70 can be positioned. In this way, the GPS system 81 is used to guide the system 70 to the vicinity of the parabolic reflector 15, that is, to the vicinity of the first field position 105, after which the parabolic reflector 15 is Position system 70 at second field position 110 for monitoring.

  Here, taking the UAV, the details of the aerial positioning of the monitoring device 10 of the parabolic reflector 15 will be described. FIG. 8 is based on FIGS. 1-7, where the apparatus 10 of FIGS. 1-5 for monitoring one or more parabolic reflectors 15 of FIG. 1 in a solar power field (120 in FIG. 9). 7 illustrates one embodiment of the present invention of a UAV 115 configured as a system 70 of FIG. UAV 115 configured as system 70 is one example of monitoring parabolic reflector 15 from the air. For example, considering the requirements of device 10, UAV 115 may have to be 1/2 m and its payload about 500 gms. The UAV 115 flies along the length of the parabolic reflector 15 and collects data relating to the reflection efficiency of the parabolic reflector 15 and the alignment of the parabolic reflector 15 with respect to the focal point during the flight. And record. The parabolic shape of the parabolic reflector 15 places strict requirements on the position of the monitoring device 10 relative to the parabolic reflector 15. In order for the device 10 to be able to monitor the parabolic reflector 15, the UAV 115 is required to fly above the surface of the parabolic reflector 15 with a precision of up to several centimeters. . Similar accuracy is required in the lateral direction. The reason why such accuracy is required is the parabolic shape of the parabolic reflector 15. This is because the light beam 25 incident on the surface of the parabolic reflector is not retroreflected. Therefore, in order to cope with this, the light source 20 and the detector 30 are arranged in the apparatus 10 so that the reflected light beam 35 reflected by the surface of the parabolic reflector 15 strikes the detector 30. The reflected light beam 35 is incident on the detector 30 only at a distance from the surface of the parabolic reflector 15 by a certain distance. Considering this distance from the surface of the parabolic reflector 15, the light source 20 and the detector 30 are arranged in the device 10. In this way, this distance can be provided by placing the device 10 at a certain height above the surface of the parabolic reflector 15. To achieve this, a very precise position by the UAV 115 for positioning the device 10 at a second field position (110 in FIG. 7) for monitoring the parabolic reflector 15. Control is required.

  Still referring to FIG. 8, the orientation of the UAV 115 plays an important role in positioning the monitoring device 10 of the parabolic reflector 15. Since the device 10 is installed on the UAV 115, the direction of the device 10 is the direction of the UAV 115. 5. If there is an error in the pitch angle 116 or the roll angle 117, the UAV 115 is moved away from the focal point, so that the apparatus 10 tends to move away from the focal point of the parabolic reflector 15. In addition, if there is an error in the yaw 118, the area where the reflected light beam 35 enters the detector 30 increases, and this area increase causes the incident area of the reflected light beam 35 to be larger than the area of the detector 30. End up. An advantage with respect to positioning and orientation requirements is that the UAV 115 is a hovering UAV. In the example of FIG. 8, UAV 115 is a quadrotor UAV that positions device 10 that monitors one or more parabolic reflectors 115 in a solar power generation field (120 in FIG. 9). The quadrotor UAV 115 has a body 119 that is raised and propelled by four rotors 120. The UAV 115 is controlled by changing the speeds of the four rotors 120. In this embodiment, the four rotors 120 of the UAV 115 are included in the movement module 85 of FIG. 6 of the system 70 of FIG. In order to monitor one or more parameters from the second field position 110 of FIG. 7, the UAV 115 is placed at each second field position 110 of FIG. 7 in the length direction of each parabolic reflector 15. And can hover. The hovering of the UAV 115 is realized with high accuracy by controlling the direction of the UAV 115 using the feedback of the current direction of the UAV 115 supplied by the direction estimation system 82 of FIG. 6 of the position estimation module 80 of FIG. can do. The UAV 115 which is a quad rotor UAV can be hovered with high accuracy by controlling the four rotors 120.

  Further referring to FIG. 8, generally, the flight form of UAV is underactuated and is inherently unstable. Therefore, UAV 115 must be controlled to stabilize the flight. The flight of the UAV 115 is stabilized by controlling the direction of the UAV 115. The direction estimation system 82 of the position estimation module 80 obtains the rotation angles in the three axes of the UAV 115 and supplies the obtained rotation angles to the processing module 75. The processing module 75 is configured to obtain the direction of the UAV 115 in accordance with these obtained rotation angles. According to the obtained direction, the processing module 75 is configured to control the direction of the UAV by controlling the moving module 85. In this way, the direction estimation system 82, the processing module 75, and the moving module 85 operate in a loop, and the direction of the UAV 115 can be continuously controlled. Hereinafter, this loop is referred to as an inner control loop. Such an internal control loop allows the direction of the UAV 115 to be controlled continuously during the flight of the UAV 115. Thus, an algorithm for controlling the direction of the UAV 115 can be stored in the processing module 75 or stored in a memory operably coupled to the processing module 75. In another embodiment, the direction can be remotely controlled by command from an operator. The operator is supplied with the direction determined as described above via the telemetry module 90 of FIG. 6, and an instruction from the operator for controlling the direction of the UAV 115 is supplied to the processing module 75. be able to. Since a standard very small MEMS accelerometer and gyroscope can be used, flight stabilization can be realized with a weight of several grams and a required calculation capacity.

  Still referring to FIG. 8, an outer control loop for inducing UAV 115 is further programmed at the beginning of the inner control loop. This outer control loop can control the UAV as a function of altitude, position and flight path, so the outer control loop may require feedback of the UAV 115 position. The GPS system 81 of FIG. 6 provides the x and y coordinates of the current position of the UAV 115. GPS receivers are widely used in such applications and meet the desired weight and power of UAVs. However, as already mentioned above, the GPS system 81 can only achieve a position accuracy of 4-5 m at a minimum. Therefore, the GPS system 81 is augmented by the local position estimation module 95. The UAV 115 is positioned at the first field position 105 of FIG. 7 using the feedback provided by the GPS system 81, after which the UAV uses the feedback provided by the local position estimation module 95 to 2 field position 110.

  FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram of one embodiment of a solar power field 122 that includes a plurality of parabolic reflectors 15. In order to monitor the plurality of parabolic reflectors 15 in the solar power generation field 122, the UAV 115 in FIG. 8 needs to fly above the plurality of parabolic reflectors 15 in the solar power generation field 122. In order to fly between the paraboloidal reflectors 15, position information feedback supplied by the GPS system 81 of FIG. 6 is used as a position information source. This information is used to guide from one parabolic reflector 15 to another parabolic reflector 15. For example, if a UAV 115 flies over the length of one parabolic reflector 15, the UAV 115 of FIG. 8 is positioned at the first field position 105 of FIG. 7 with respect to the next parabolic reflector 15. The The UAV 115 is then positioned at the second field position 110 of FIG. 7 using feedback provided by the local position estimation module 95 of FIG. FIG. 9 shows an example of the route 125 of the UAV 115. Programming the path 125 of the UAV 115 as a plurality of successive intermediate points 126 so that the UAV 115 flies above the parabolic reflector 15 of the solar power field 122 to monitor one or more parameters. Can do. Each of these successive intermediate points 126 can be each second field position 110 of FIG. 7 in the length direction of the parabolic reflector 15. There are various proven guidance algorithms that can guarantee path tracking with an accuracy of several centimeters. The accuracy of this tracking depends on the forward speed, and the lower the speed, the better the accuracy. Since the UAV 115 is a quadrotor UAV, it can be hovered. By this hovering, the forward speed can be lowered, and thereby the path tracking accuracy can be improved.

  Further regarding FIG. 9, it is reported in the literature that the power consumption of the quadrotor UAV is about 5 W and the cruising time is about 30 minutes. When the forward speed is about 2 m / s, good tracking accuracy can be realized. Assuming that the size of the normal parabolic reflector 15 is about 100 m, the scanning time of each one of the parabolic reflectors 15 is about 1 minute, and the parabolic reflector can be scanned with one battery. 15 is about 30 pieces. Therefore, when the battery is fully charged once, the ratio of the normal solar power generation field 122 that can be scanned by one UAV 115 approaches 20 to 30%. Therefore, three to five flights are sufficient to scan the entire solar power field 122. Since the frequency of performing this scan does not have to be so high, the period for performing this scan can be scheduled as several days. In one embodiment, a charging station (not shown) for charging the UAV 115 can be installed in the solar power field 122. Advantageously, a plurality of said charging stations can be installed at a plurality of predetermined locations within the solar power field 122 and the UAV 115 can be controlled to be positioned at any charging station in order to charge the battery. . After charging, the UAV 115 can continue the parabolic reflector 15 scanning process.

  In another embodiment, monitoring of the parabolic reflector 15 from the air can also be accomplished using a moored cable that can lift the device 10. Since the carrier is always guided by such a mooring cable, the need to control the carrier with high accuracy is greatly reduced. This can be higher than the trough or next to the trough, high enough for measurement. FIG. 10 shows an overview viewed from above one embodiment in which the solar power generation field monitoring device 10 of FIGS. 1 to 5 is positioned in the air using a mooring cable. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 10, the mooring cable 130 is installed so as to extend in the length direction of the parabolic reflector 15 of the solar thermal power generation field 122. The movement of the device 10 can be guided by this mooring cable 130. Advantageously, as already described in the above embodiment, the mooring cable 130 can be installed so that the mooring cable 130 is above the focal point of the parabolic reflector 15.

  FIG. 11 is a flow diagram of an embodiment method with reference to FIGS. 1-10 for positioning an apparatus 10 for monitoring parameters of one or more parabolic reflectors 15 of a solar power field 122. At block 135, the device 10 is positioned at the first field position 105 in response to the position of each parabolic reflector 15. Next, in block 140, information on the absorption tube 38 of each parabolic reflector 15 is acquired. The process then proceeds to block 145 where the device 10 is positioned at a second field position 110 above the focal point of each parabolic reflector 15 according to the information in the absorption tube 38.

  Further, by adding other light sources 20 and detectors 30 and incorporating them into the apparatus 10, other parameters of the parabolic reflector 15 are similarly monitored using the embodiment shown in FIGS. It becomes possible. The embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 11 is intended for monitoring of a parabolic reflector 15 of a solar power plant, and the parabolic reflector 15 shown in the embodiment of FIGS. 1 to 11 is a parabolic trough. Although it is a mold, the positioning technique of the monitoring device 10 of the parabolic reflector 15 described in the above embodiment is also used to position the device 10 for monitoring other types of concentrating solar power plants. can do. However, when the type of the concentrating solar power plant is different, the arrangement of the light source 20 and the detector 30 in the apparatus 10 may have to be changed. In the case of a concentrating solar power plant using a heliostat, the requirements regarding the positioning of the light source and the detector are eased.

  Embodiments described herein can position a device that monitors one or more parabolic reflectors of a solar thermal field from the air. Monitoring from the air has the advantage that the solar field can be easily monitored with less human intervention. Positioning the parabolic reflector monitoring device according to the position of the absorption tube provides the advantage that the device can be positioned without the need for additional markers. In this way, the above system can be used for existing solar heat fields without the need for any additional infrastructure equipment.

Example FIG. 12 shows an example of the calculation of the size and position of each component of the apparatus 10 of FIGS.

  FIG. 12 shows the outline of the apparatus 10 with reference to FIG. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 12, the length A of the diameter of the parabolic reflector 15 is 5.77 m. The length L of the parabolic reflector 15 shown in FIG. 9 is 4 m. The focal length F of the parabolic reflector 15 is 1.71 m, and the depth D is 1.21 m. The diameter d of the absorption tube 38 is 50 mm, and the distance C from the parabolic reflector 15 to the center of curvature is 3.42 m. The length S of the beam splitter 65 is 50 mm, and the length DL of the detector is 30 mm. The distance a between the beam splitter 65 and the light source 20 is 15 mm, and the distance b between the detector 30 and the beam splitter 65 is 15 mm. Regarding the size and dimension of each component of the device 10 and the distance between the components, the device 10 can be configured compactly by reducing the weight. By being configured in this way, the parameter monitoring device of the parabolic reflector 15 can be easily positioned with better accuracy.

  Although the invention has been described in detail with reference to specific advantageous embodiments, it is clear that the invention is not limited to these specific embodiments. Rather, many modifications and improvements will occur to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention by taking the disclosure of the present application, which describes the best mode presently present, into practice. Is possible. Therefore, the scope of the present invention is not disclosed in the above description, but is described in the claims. All improvements, changes and modifications that fall within the interpretation and scope of the claims are to be embraced within their scope.

Claims (15)

In a method for positioning an apparatus (10) for monitoring parameters of one or more parabolic reflectors (15) of a solar thermal field (122):
Positioning the monitoring device (10) at a first field position (105) according to the position of each parabolic reflector (15);
Obtaining information on the absorption tube (38) of each parabolic reflector (15);
Positioning the monitoring device (10) at a second field position (110) according to information in the absorption tube (38);
However, the second field position (110) is a position above the focal point of each paraboloidal reflector (15). further,
Moving the monitoring device in the length direction of each parabolic reflector (15) at the second field position (110);
The positioning method according to claim 1. The second field position (110) is the center of curvature of each parabolic reflector (15),
The positioning method according to claim 1 or 2. In the step of positioning the monitoring device (10) at the second field position (110), the monitoring device (10) is positioned according to the position of the absorption tube (38).
The positioning method according to any one of claims 1 to 3. The step of positioning the monitoring device (10) according to the position of the absorption tube (38) comprises:
Imaging the absorption tube (38) within a wide field of view (111);
Aligning the absorber tube (38) within a narrow field of view (112);
Aligning the absorption tube (38) with reference coordinates in the narrow field of view (112) to position the monitoring device (10).
The positioning method according to claim 4. The reference coordinates correspond to the center of the narrow field of view (112);
The positioning method according to claim 5. The first field position (105) is above the focal point of each parabolic reflector (15);
The positioning method according to any one of claims 1 to 6. Positioning said monitoring device (10) at said second field position (110) in air;
The positioning method according to any one of claims 1 to 7. A system (70) for positioning an apparatus (10) for monitoring parameters of one or more parabolic reflectors (15) of a solar thermal field (122), comprising:
A position estimation module (80) configured to detect the position of the monitoring device (10);
A processing module (75) operatively coupled to the position estimation module (80) and configured to receive a detected position of the monitoring device (10);
A transfer module (85) operably coupled to the processing module (75);
A local position estimation module (95) configured to obtain information on the absorption tube (38) of each parabolic reflector (15);
The processing module (75) is configured to position the monitoring device (10) at a first field position (105) according to the position of each parabolic reflector (15). Is configured to control
The processing module (75) further receives the information of the absorption tube (38) and controls the moving module (85) to position the monitoring device (10) at a second field position (110). A system (70) characterized in that the system is configured to. The processing module (75) is arranged such that the monitoring device (10) moves in the length direction of each parabolic reflector (15) at the second field position (110). 85) configured to control,
The system according to claim 9. The second field position (110) is the center of curvature of each parabolic reflector (15),
The system according to claim 9 or 10. The processing module (15) controls the moving module (85) to position the monitoring device (10) at the second field position (110) according to the position of the absorption tube (38). Is configured to
12. A system according to any one of claims 9 to 11. The position estimation module (95) comprises an imaging device configured to acquire an image of the absorption tube (38);
The positioning method according to claim 4. The imaging device has a configurable field of view including a wide field of view (111) and a narrow field of view (112);
The processing module (75)
Aligning the absorption tube (38) within the wide field of view (111);
Aligning the absorber tube (38) within the narrow field of view (112);
Configured to control the moving module (85) to align the absorber tube (38) with respect to a reference coordinate within the narrow field of view (112);
The system of claim 13. The system (70) is an aerial drone (115),
15. A system according to any one of claims 9 to 14.

Images